Monday, 29 August 2011

Union of Renegades by Tracy Falbe - review + giveaway

Union of Renegades is the first book in The Rys Chronicles by Tracy Falbe. I got this book from the author and you will meet her tomorrow in her guest post on my blog. About the book from the author:

Dreibrand Veta has killed for his country. At the frontlines of imperial expansion, he seeks to rebuild the fortune of his noble family. In his daring travels he encounters the rys, a race far more powerful than the human empire that bred him. Dreibrand cannot defy the rys Queen Onja nor defend his companion, Miranda, and her children from the wicked tyrant Queen. Desperate for help, Dreibrand and Miranda join Shan, a rys with emerging powers who plans to challenge Onja. In Shan's pursuit of the rys throne, he exerts his magical powers, gathers his allies, and incites rebellion among Onja's human subjects. Great wealth and power will reward the kings, warriors, and spies that align themselves with the rys pretender, but defeat could mean worse than death. Onja can imprison souls and her genocidal rage is legendary. Everything is at risk for Shan's union of renegades.

Ms Falbe has created wonderful world which doesn't mean that all the creatures in it are lovely :) Most of them are not; but the whole story is well written and planned. The world is laid before you and all you have to do is enter it and you are immediately drawn into its power plays and adventures. The characters are well developed even though sometimes they do feel one dimensional. But as the story flows you get to know them better and their motivation and reactions become understandable and more realistic. At the times, I felt like the pace of the story should be faster but this is the sacrifice of creating complex world and wanting it to be described to the reader in detail.

If you enjoy good fantasy book, I recommend this story. Some parts of it reminded me of The Lord of the Rings adventures :)

The only thing I don't like (and this is designer in me talking) is the cover, but this has no effect on my opinion of the book - which is: I really did enjoy the story :)

Stop by my blog tomorrow when you’ll get to know MS Falbe. Also, comment today as well as tomorrow for a chance to be entered into the giveaway. The more you comment the greater are your chances of winning. Spread the word about the book and the giveaway for extra entry. You could win the whole series (4 books) in e-format:

Union of Renegades: The Rys Chronicles Book I
The Goddess Queen: The Rys Chronicles Book II
Judgment Rising: The Rys Chronicles Book III
The Borderlands of Power: The Rys Chronicles Book IV

The contest is open until September 3rd 2011, and the winner will be selected randomly and announced on Sunday September the 4th 2011. More about the books and the author at http://www.braveluck.com/